The present application relates to metering pumps. Specifically, a computerized control system is described for accurately monitoring and controlling the amount of pumped media in a chemical process application.
Metering pumps are used in a variety of chemical processes to control the quantities of chemicals which are used in the process. For instance, in chemical processing plants, and water treatment plants, it is necessary to accurately add precise quantities of difficult-to-handle fluids with other constituent products during the chemical process. Metering pumps manufactured by the assignee of the present application, Pulsafeeder, Inc., are capable of providing precise quantities of pumped media within 1% of a nominal media volume.
Large chemical process plants typically are computer-controlled from a central processor. The amounts and rate of individual constituent chemicals used in a process are controlled by metering pumps which may be distributed at various points within a chemical process plant. The flow rate produced by these pumps must be monitored and precisely regulated if the overall chemical process is to be accurately controlled.
The present application is directed to providing for the distributed control over these various metering pumps such that the central control processor for the chemical plant may be operated in confidence that each of the metering pumps throughout the plant are being accurately controlled by a localized control system.